The Howard County Council unanimously approved a $1.4 billion operating and capital budget for fiscal 2016. The budget provides funds for mental health initiatives and a new school.

As reported by the Baltimore Sun,

This year’s budget reels in the county’s borrowing by $24 million while funding a long-awaited library and senior center for Elkridge, new mental health initiatives and construction of an elementary school in the southeast, among other projects.

Councilmembers agreed on most of the tweaks they made to the budget proposed by County Executive Allan Kittleman, which largely remained intact. But two of the council’s Democrats argued schools — which received a total of $776 million in state and county funding — should have been given a little more.

An amendment sought by Council Members Ball and Terrasa to increase school funding by $7 million failed 3 – 2.

County Executive Kittleman  was pleased with the Council’s approval of his budget.

“I submitted a lean, sustainable budget to the County Council for FY 2016, which was balanced, yet funded our shared priorities,” he said in a statement. “I am confident that we are prepared for future challenges and the County will head into Fiscal Year 2016 on sound fiscal footing.”

More information on Howard County’s Operating and Capital Budget for Fiscal 2016 can be found on the county’s website.